Paraffin scraper



Dec. 5, 1967 P. PoLsoN 3,356,143

PARAFFIN SCRAPER Filed June 24, 1965 INVENTOR Paul Poison Figl BY /w y ATTORNEY United States Patent Giice 3,356,143 PARAFFIN SCRAPER Paul Poison, P.0. Box 1761, Pampa, Tex. 79065 Filed June 24, 1965, Ser. No. 466,563 1 Claim. (Cl. 166-176) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE The invention, in summary, is a paraiiin scraper and rod guide which comprises in combination with a rpump rod, a scraper element consisting essentially of three components welded into a unit which is fitted to a pump rod so as to radially embrace it and, in operation, scrapingly engage the inner wall of a flow tube to prevent the accumulation of parafiin thereon and to maintain the rod concentrically of the tube during the vertical reciprocation thereof.

The component parts of the device comprise a ring fixed concentrically about the rod by a supporting element having a semi-circul-arly shaped body conformable to the radius of the rod, and having laterally extended portions connected by welding to the ring, and a complementary semi-circular element, also conformable to the radius of the rod, which is welded to the supporting element on the opposite side of the rod to complete an encirclement thereof and whereby the integrated combination of the ring, the supporting element and the complementary element, is rmly and operatively connected t0 the rod, concentrcally embracing the same and engaging the inner surface of the flow tube in which these elements are adapted to operate.

This invention relates to oil well pumping equipment, and it has particular reference to parain Scrapers for preventing or minimizing the accumulation of parailin deposits on the inner surfaces of the well tubing during pumping operations, and its principal object resides in the provision of a device which effectively prevents static deposits of paraiiin in the tubing and affords an elicient guide for sucker rods operating therein.

The combination of parain scraper and rod guide of the invention is related to but readily distinguishable from other devices intended ed in Patent No. 2,772,741, patented Dec. 4 1956 and Patent No. 3,004,605,

An object of the invention is that of providing a simple and economical structure which can be installed along the sucker rod at spaced intervals, as desired, and arranged thereon at different radial positions with into the well to impalr the pump or in anywise hinder its operation.

of the pump stroke and prevent the rod from contacting the tubing wall.

as in pumping iluids from a 3,356,143 Patented Dec. 5, 1967 While the foregoing objects are paramount, other and lesser objects will become manifest as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the appended drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is an elevational View, partly in section taken on a median line, showing a well tubing having a sucker rod operatively positioned for reciprocal movement therein, and showing a plurality of combined paraffin scraper and rod guide units embodying the invention rigidly connected to the rod at longitudinally spaced intervals for sliding engagement with the inner wall of the tubing whereby the tubing is kept free of parain deposits and the rod is aligned axially therewith.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional plan view on an scale taken on the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional plan View on an enlarged scale taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary elevational view on an enlarged scale, partly in section, showing one of the combined parain scraper and rod guide units and illustrating the manner in which it is connected to the rod.

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view on an enlarged scale showing the component parts of one of the combined parain scraper and rod guide units before they are connected to each other and to the rod, as by welding, as shown in FIGURE 4, and

FIGURE 6 is a View similar to FIGURE 2 showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring to FIGURE l of the drawing, the numeral 10 designates a well tubing, which is disposed vertically well, and the numeral 11 indicates a sucker rod which is operatively positioned in the tubing 10 for reciprocal movement therein. A plurality of combined paraiin scraper and rod guide units, indicated generally by the numerals 12, are rigidly connected to the rod 11 at longitudinally spaced intervals as hereinafter described for sliding engagement with the inner wall of the tubing 10, whereby the tubing 10 is kept free of paraffin deposits and the rod 11 is aligned axially therewith.

As shown in FIGURE 5, the combined paraiiin scraper and rod guide units 12 shown in FIGURES 1 to 5, before assembling them on the rod 11 as shown in FIGURE 4, each comprise three separate component parts which include an' annular scraper element 13 and a pair of companion spacer elements 14, 15, as hereinafter described.

The annular scraper element 13, which has an outside diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the tubing 10, is broken on one side thereof, as at 16, and its opposite end portions are spaced a short distance apart.

One of the spacer elements 14 has a semi-circular central portion 17 having a radius corresponding substantially to the radius of the rod 11, and has a pair of planar end portions 18, 19 which extend laterally outwardly in `opposite directions from the central portion 17 and have their extreme ends connected to the scraper element 13 as hereinafter described.

The other of the spacer elements 15, which is substantially semi-circular and has a radius corresponding subof the rod 11, and which in use coacts with the semi-circular central portion 17 of the spacer element 14 to embrace the rod 11, is secured at its ends, as by welding, in the assembled positions of the spacer elements 14, 15 relative to the rod 11, to the spacer element 14.

The spacer element 14 is relatively wider than the other of the spacer elements 15, and the end portions 18, 19 thereof are of unequal lateral dimensions. The end portion 18 having the leseser dimension, has an indentation 20 in the extreme end thereof for engagement by the side of the annular scraper element 13 opposite the space 16 between its opposite end portions, and the opposite of enlarged said end portions 19 extends partly into the space 16, between opposite end portions of the annular scraper element 13, and the extreme ends of the end portions 18, 19 of the spacer element 14 are connected to the latter, in the assembled position of the annular scraper element 13 relative to the spacer elements 14, 15, as by welding, and the upper corners of the elements 18 and 19 may be cut oil, as indicated in dotted lines in FIGURE 5.

The spacer elements 14, 15 preferably are welded t0- gether, in the assembled positions of the spacer elements 14, 15 relative to the rod 11 as above described, while maintaining them under substantial pressure whereby the combined parain scraper and rod guide units 12 are rigidly connected to the rod 11. At the same time most of the heat of welding is absorbed by the spacer elements 14, 15 so that the rod 11 is not damaged.

Referring now to the modified form of the invention shown in FIGURE 6, the scraper element 21, which corresponds to the scraper element 13 shown in FIGURES 1 to 5, is substantially semi-circular rather than annular and has inwardly turned opposite end portions 22 overlying the adjacent end potrions 18, 19 of the spacer element 14.

Manifestly, the structure herein shown and described is capable of certain changes and modifications by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and intent of the invention or the scope ofthe appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a paraffin scraper and rod guide `for a ow tube in an oil well having a pump rod operating therein, in combination with the said pump rod, an annular scraper element having a relatively narrow break in one side, and a pair of companion spacer elements for connecting said scraper element to said rod in concentric relation therewith, one of said spacer elements having a semi-circular central portion having a radius corresponding to the radius of the rod, and having a pair of planar end portions extending laterally outwardly in opposite directions from said central portion and having their extremities welded to the scraper element, one of said planar end portions extending into said break, and the other of the spacer elements being substantially semi-circular and having a radius corresponding to the radius of the rod and coacting with the semi-circular central portion of said first mentioned spacer element to embrace the rod and being Welded at its ends to said iirst mentioned spacer element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,253,657 8/1941 Arnold 166-241 2,397,679 4/1946 Minyard l 5-104.16 X 2,702,083 2/ 1955 Wagner 166-176 2,733,767 2/ 1956 Sappington a 1,66-176 2,979,133 4/1961 Winegar 166-176 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner. IAN A. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner. 

